I can't comment on your questions, because I don't know enough about windows. I can tell you my experience with our custom build home. Marvin windows, very expensive and lots of them. We were not happy. We had four 12' sliders and the seals broke on all 4. Had them replaced by Marvin (no problem there, at all) and on 2 of the new 4 replacements, the seals broke.

Next house, renovation, but all new windows, not replacement.s This time we went with Anderson 400 Series throughout the house and lower level. Six years in and not one issue. Tight as a drum.

We live in the Northeast, close to ocean, Cape Cod.

Well stated WoW. There are several pro's who post regularly here in the "Windows" forum who are all extremely knowledgeable, actually more knowledgeable able then me as well. And speaking of...............................

@Windows on Washington Ltd you're not chopped liver, you're Filet Mignon. I now remember reading many of your comments but your handle didn't stick in my mind because you don't have a cat wearing sunglasses as your picture.

Thank you for the great input. We have about 1,200 sq feet of glass on the house. I like the European style but my wife is concerned it won't match the aesthetic of the house.

I’m also in the process of choosing windows and am curious what you’ll decide on.

Happy wife....chance at a happy life. No guarantees. But you can bet your sweet arse it won't be happy...if she isn't.

Update: Alpen came in at $106,000 but they missed a few windows in the quote and did not include french doors, so the quote is not complete.

Update II: Fibertec came in at:

Triple glazed: $110,000

Hi @elcieg - Glad to hear you're happy with your choice of Andersen 400 series. Did you choose Tilt Wash or Woodwright? Thank you.

Tilt wash because one side of the house has the walk out basement, with patio, making the first floor windows difficult to reach without a ladder. I honestly don't tilt windows in the rest of the house. I find them heavy and hard to clean without help.

Thanks for your reply, @elcieg! I believe both the Tilt Wash and Woodwright tilt in for cleaning but it's much easier with the Woodwright. I found this video which shows both. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPX8QIiFcQc

That is a good price on the Fibertec and they seem to have good feedback on them. Tried to do the @ mention of you, but it doesn't find the C W.

Watched the video, see what you mean about "easier". I did see one thing on the Woodwright I didn't like...the two locks, which is a must to make it tilt.

Also noticed the windows are in CT. I am in MA and have never seen that brand around my area.

Thanks for sharing. Learn something new every day on houzz.

@Windows on Washington Ltd - I was so excited when their initial quote came in at $84,000, until I went through it and realized they missed a bunch of windows :(.

I noticed that (2 locks on Woodwright), in the video, too, @elcieg. I do think that has to do with the width of the window, though. I have seen a Woodwright in two different showrooms in NH that had only one lock (with the tilt release in it) in the center and they seemed to be average width windows. Take care.

Excellent commentary from WoW, especially pertaining to U value.

My $.02:

- While a nice window, the Elevate is not like your other choices in that its a couple tiers down in terms of performance.

- Suspended film acheives some phenomenal numbers, but history is not as kind to it when it comes to durability. Each time a new company offers it (very few do which is an indicator in itself) the claim is made that those durability concerns are in the past, the issues have been solved, however that has yet to be proven true.

Based on your goals, a good triple pane unit with a low air infiltration rating should do well for you. While a .22 u value is indeed pretty good, it would actually be a red flag IMO as most high performance triple pane options will be .20 or lower. No double pane window will achieve a .22 without either a suspended film or possibly surface 4 low e which is detrimental to condensation resistance.

Klearwall cam in at $140,000 for uPVC.

At this point with only Inline outstanding, I'm not sure what to do. Our window budget is around $90,000 - only the Marvin double pane is actually at or below budget. The rest of the quotes are $10-20k over budget. I'm fine going over if other stuff on the house comes in at or under - I'd rather spend the money on windows than counters or tile.

@Windows on Washington Ltd @millworkman @HomeSealed Exteriors, LLC - what would you do if it were your home?

I would probably go with the Fibertec. I know of them as a solid company. Zola, Klearwall I am not familiar enough with and Alpen is a bit shaky from my perspective, been reinvented too many times.

I am kind of leaning towards @millworkman feedback. Disclaimer, I have ZERO personal experience with Fibertec, but the rub on them is very good.

Both of the Andersen 400 series double-hungs have the same PVC clad frame.

The 400 Woodwright has a Fibrex clad sash with a traditional glass stop.

The 400 Tilt Wash has a PPG epoxy painted sash with 2 versions of an odd glass stop.

400 WOODWRIGHT

400 TILT WASH

@res2architect, thank you for this information. I'll admit, I just "googled" to try to understand what a "glass stop" is. I'm not sure it helped much.

So, if I am understanding correctly, both the Tilt Wash and the Woodwright have a PVC (vinyl) clad FRAME but the SASH of the Woodwright is clad in FIBREX and the SASH of the Tilt Wash has a vinyl "glazing bead," and a Flexacron (painted finish) on wood? Is the SILL Fibrex on both the Tilt Wash and the Woodwright? Apart from the PVC (vinyl clad) FRAME, is the rest of the exterior of the Woodwright Fibrex?

I wish I knew how to "read" the images you posted. Even if the images were much bigger, I still don't think I'd know what is what. Do you feel the Woodwright is a better window than the Tilt Wash? Thank you for your time.

The sash is the part that moves up and down and holds the glass. The PVC clad frame holds the sash and includes the sill. The glass stop is what holds the glass in the sash. On the Woodwright its integral to the sash and on the Tilt-Wash its 2 different kinds of clips.

The Woodwright is a better window than the Tilt-Wash. They both have the tilt-wash feature.

The sill sections should become large enough to understand when you click on them.

Thank you for your further explanation, @res2architect. I've looked at a number of "mid-level" wood interior windows, including the Harvey Majesty Window and Pella Lifestyle which, unlike the Andersen Tilt-Wash and Andersen Woodwright, have an aluminum clad exterior (extruded frame, roll formed sash). I have read criticisms of both PVC clad wood and aluminum clad wood, (particularly roll-form) but these are the options in my budget. I'm trying to make a wise decision. We need 25 windows and we won't be doing this again.

Because it is often recommended here, I did look at the Marvin Elevate but to me, the interior had a contemporary feel (lip on the upper part of the lower interior sash) and I'm looking for a traditional looking window. We have a country style cape in NH.

I would steer clear of anything Harvey or Pella were it me. Maybe look for a LePage dealer for a mid tier wood or wood clad window.

Thanks, @millworkman. I did go look at the LePage windows. They are beautiful. Unfortunately, they are beyond the budget.

I would look to stretch your budget or run the very real risk of changing the windows again in 10 years. Or look into a decent vinyl window.

Perhaps I missed something in the OP's comments but I thought they wanted a traditional appearance and didn't like the Elevate lower sash cap so I assumed the windows would be double-hungs. If that's the case, the lowest U-value for a Fibertec triple pane double-hung is .22 which I suspect would be quite expensive.

Also the Fibertec double-hung is designed like a vinyl window with different width top and bottom sash, a bulging exterior frame and thin sash set to the exterior like a typical vinyl window. IMO that doesn't look like a traditional window.

If you want a traditional double-hung window I would take another look at the Marvin Elevate. When the budget will allow it I prefer Marvin Ultimate double-hungs.

Where is the project located?

If its near Boston, the best Marvin dealer is JB Sash & Door (ask for Joe Adams). https://jbsash.com

FIBERTEC

ELEVATE

Thanks, @millworkman. I can't imagine going through this again in ten years. You feel there's a real risk of that if I go with Harvey Majesty, Pella LIfestyle, Andersen Tilt Wash or Andersen Woodwright. Ugh.

@res2architect, I am not the OP, but I had commented on this thread about feeling the sash cap on the lower sash of the Elevate gave it a contemporary (not traditional) feel. Yes, I was referring to Double-Hungs. I will look at the photos I have of the Marvin Elevate again to see if I can see "traditional" in it.

Thank you, both.

Simulated divided lites are only available for Fibertec 300 Series Casement Windows, 300 Series Awning Windows and 300 Series Fixed Window. IMO the Fibertec windows are essentially a fiberglass version of a vinyl window.

@res2architect- I’m the original poster and was asking for advice on the above brands I’m considering - all casement - as the quotes trickle in. Others started having a separate discussion on the thread completely unrelated to what I originally posted.

I'm in Chicago.

@C W, my apologies for any confusion my question to one of the commenters on your thread caused. Like you, I am trying to choose windows--not an easy task. I wish you well in your window search.

As an architect rather than a window supplier, I recommend posting the design of the house and listing the desired features before delving into window performance options.

I linked to the elevations and floor plan in my original post. I’m not sure what desired features you are referring to.

Update: Inline came in at $83,000 for double pane and $92,000 for triple pane - they seem like the best option at the moment.

Inline is also a fine product.

Klearwall cam in at $140,000 for uPVC.

At this point with only Inline outstanding, I'm not sure what to do. Our window budget is around $90,000 - only the Marvin double pane is actually at or below budget. The rest of the quotes are $10-20k over budget. I'm fine going over if other stuff on the house comes in at or under - I'd rather spend the money on windows than counters or tile.

@Windows on Washington Ltd@millworkman@HomeSealed Exteriors, LLC - what would you do if it were your home?

Starmark Evo Composite is my choice, triple pane/argon.

Inline is a nice product and good performer as well.

Some additional food for thought, Energy Star 7.0 is set to be implemented in 2023 with a threshold of .22 U value or better for the Northern Zone which includes Chicago. This will effectively require triple pane glass and will eliminate many options for those who want an Energy Star qualified product. With a new, higher tax credit set to be released as well, I suspect that triple pane glass will become the norm for this region sooner than later -- as it should... None of this means that you have to go that route of course, but its also something to consider so as not to make a choice that could be viewed as obsolete in a short period of time.

Lastly, given that you are looking at casements, the design discussion carries a bit less weight IMO. It is a more modern configuartion to start with, and with less aesthetic difference from one material to the next in comparison to double hungs.